


As Time Goes By

by edgarallanrose



Series: Marvel Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), i made myself sad writing this, let these boys be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 09:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18363467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edgarallanrose/pseuds/edgarallanrose
Summary: Bucky looked at Steve expectantly, swinging his feet as they hung off the table and leaning back on his hand. Steve shoved his hands in his pockets, shuffling his feet.“So,” Steve said, “what do you wanna—”“Dance with me,” Bucky said.“You sure?”“My brain is broken and I’m down one arm, but my feet still work, Stevie.”





	As Time Goes By

**Author's Note:**

> Originally a prompt from [this post](http://edgarallanrose.tumblr.com/post/183805154390/angstfluff-prompt-list) where I asked for people to send me one of the dialogue prompts and a ship. pieplease asked: 46,33 STUCKY ?? 💓♥️💓♥️💓♥️💓
> 
> 46\. “Dance with me.”  
> 33\. “Don’t cry.”

“You’ll have forty-five minutes before he’ll need to be stabilized again,” T’Challa said as he led Steve down the now familiar path to the lab.

“I understand,” Steve said. “I’m just happy to be able to talk to him this time. I appreciate the call.”

“Of course. We also thought it might be good for Sergeant Barnes to see a familiar face.”

The door for the lab slid open after recognizing T’Challa’s security clearance and a couple of scientists in lab coats nodded politely as they passed by. Steve realized his fists were clenched by his sides and he had started to sweat around his collar.

He was nervous.

There was no reason to be. He kept in as regular communication as he could with Shuri and T’Challa, and all the reports had been promising. He had visited more than once with Bucky in his cryogenic state but this…it felt different.

And then they turned the corner and there was Bucky, sitting on the examination table while someone read his vitals as Shuri observed. He looked the same as when Steve had left him, though maybe with more facial hair. Same white tank top and linen pants, bare feet, and the sleeve covering his amputated arm. But his eyes seemed brighter, the lines on his face a little smoother. He seemed happy.

“Ahoy, Captain,” Shuri said as they approached. “Someone has been asking after you ever since he woke up.”

“Only because I know you’re always late,” Bucky said, winking at Steve.

That wink really shouldn’t work after over fifty years, but Steve knew he was blushing.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My timing is impeccable.”

“Sister Agatha used to beat the crap out of us at school because we were late every day,” Bucky told Shuri.

“We were late because you insisted on stopping to get kolaches every morning!”

“And did you ever stop me?”

Steve laughed. “It’s good to see you, Buck.”

“You too, Stevie.”

“Your boy has been doing well,” Shuri said, rolling her eyes at their banter. “I think one more round of the cryo treatments then we can start doing other forms of rehabilitation.”

“Really?” Bucky raised his eyebrows.

“I will take that statement not as doubt, but rather as astonishment of my genius. Thank you very much and also you’re welcome.”

“Thank you, Shuri,” Steve said. “Would it be possible for us to get some time alone?”

Shuri deferred to T’Challa with a look, and he nodded back to her. It was her decision.

“I cannot have him leave the lab, because he’s being monitored, but I believe we could clear out for a little while.” She said something in Wakandan to the others in the lab and they began to collect their things and exit. “But no funny business!” She said, pointing out several cameras in the corners of the room. “I am only a child, and you will scar me for life.”

“I promise we’ll behave,” Bucky said, though he fixed Steve with a mischievous grin. Steve sighed, shaking his head at the ceiling.

“Thirty minutes,” Shuri said, shaking a stern finger at them.

And then everyone was gone.

Bucky looked at Steve expectantly, swinging his feet as they hung off the table and leaning back on his hand. Steve shoved his hands in his pockets, shuffling his feet.

“So,” Steve said, “what do you wanna—”

“Dance with me,” Bucky said.

“You sure?”

“My brain is broken and I’m down one arm, but my feet still work, Stevie.”

“No, I mean, I know that, I just—here? Dancing in a lab?”

“Well, since Wakanda doesn’t allow conjugal visits,” Bucky teased, hopping off the table and walking over to a nearby data pad, swiping his finger over the screen. “I think this is the one Shuri uses.”

Soon there was music playing over an unseen speaker, and Steve smiled as he recognized the tune. He started to hum along as Rudy Vallee crooned.

“Remember New Year’s Eve 1943? I think we were in Belgium,” Bucky said.

“It was France,” Steve said, pulling Bucky in by his hand and placing his other hand on his waist. “I remember.”

They swayed together and part of Steve thought there had to be a better way to spend their time, there was so much to catch each other up on, and yet he couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything else.

 _It's still the same old story_ __  
A fight for love and glory  
A case of do or die  
The world will always welcome lovers  
As time goes by

“You gonna keep letting that grow in?” Bucky asked, nosing the facial hair on Steve’s cheek before resting his head on Steve’s shoulder.

“Maybe,” Steve said. “Why? Do you hate it?”

“Nah, it’s just different. Makes you look older.”

“Bud, I _am_ old.”

“We both are.”

They were quiet again and Steve pulled Bucky even closer as another song began to play.

“Shuri’s gonna be so mad I messed up her Spotify algorithm,” Bucky mumbled.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Me neither.”

They laughed, their faces close, foreheads pressing together. Steve reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind Bucky’s hair.

“I know she said no funny business, but do you think she’d be mad if I kissed you?”

“I don’t know, Steve, but I will be extremely mad if you don’t kiss me right this second.”

And Steve had never been in the business of denying anything to Bucky Barnes. He kissed him softly and slowly, bringing their dancing to a standstill. Steve felt warm from the tips of his ears to the end of his toes. When Steve tried to deepen the kiss, they ended up bumping noses and laughing.

“I think I’m out of practice,” Steve admitted.

“Nonsense, pal, it’s just like riding a bike.”

“You know I never learned to do that. My legs were always too short. But I can ride a motorbike now.”

“Okay when I get outta here, and my head is finally screwed on straight, here’s what we’re gonna do,” Bucky said, pulling away and suddenly looking very serious. “First, we’re gonna go to France again. We’re gonna ride bikes and put baguettes and champagne in the baskets like they do in the pictures. And we’re gonna have romantic picnics by the river and then go dancing all night and no one will ever recognize us because we have beards now.”

Steve had to laugh at that, but all the while Bucky spoke Steve’s eyes were filling with tears and there was a lump the size of a golf ball in his throat.

“We’re both gonna retire,” Bucky continued, pulling Steve close to him and letting Steve bury his face into his neck. “We’re gonna keep growing old together, even if it takes another hundred years. Would you like that?”

“I would,” Steve said with a sniffle, nodding but still hiding his face.

“Don’t cry,” Bucky said, rocking them back and forth. “Shhh, Stevie, it’s alright.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, pal. But guess what?”

“What?”

“We’ve got time now,” Bucky said. He kissed Steve on the forehead, the tip of his nose, and gently on the lips. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to like or share the og ficlet on tumblr, you may do so [here](http://edgarallanrose.tumblr.com/post/183860419350/4633-stucky), and/or follow me so you can check out the next time I am accepting and posting prompts!


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